I have decided to write a little blog post about a gorgeous baby boy called Freddie. This handsome little boy came to see me when he was seven days old. He was so tiny cuddly and adorable, but he also had a mind of his own and rather wanted to spend time getting comforted by mum then having his photo taken.
When I tell people I photograph new arrivals the immediate reaction is usually oh that must be easy as all they do is sleep. The reality however is completely different and photographing newborn is one of the most challenging sessions. The new arrivals are new to this world, they are new to smells and sounds and they have not established a routine. In other words each session is completely unpredictable.
Freddie arrived after a feed and dressed in a sleep suit. I estimate between 2-4 hours for each session which is spent comforting, position and photograph baby. It is ideal for the baby to be in deep sleep as you are able to put them in a position and make them stay, when awake they will kick and move which not only make it difficult to achieve a creative image.
Baby Freddy didn’t want to sleep nor did he want his photo taken. All he wanted was cuddled and fed. After 4 hours I had managed to photograph a handful of images, the baby, mum and I were all exhausted and we agreed it was time to call it a day.
As a photographer I pride myself in capturing creative images and invited mum and Freddy back a week later for another try. This time he fell asleep and after two hours I had managed to capture a number of images of Freddy.
Photographing new arrivals requires a lot of patience, every session is unpredictable yet at the end it is so rewarding.
I love when a client trust me with their new arrival, being the mum of two myself I remember so well the first couple of weeks when we spend hours studying every little detail and how overwhelming the pride of your new arrival was. It is amazing how fast our babies grow and change and by capturing them at this early stage in their life you are capturing those moments, that feeling and every time you take out one of these images you will evoke that memory and remember how amazing and special those first days are.
“A new baby is like the beginning of all things-wonder, hope, a dream of possibilities.”
Really lovely photos, Evy. x